Hazel-Bush Flap Flower has claimed the title of Holstein Association USA’s 2011 Star of the Breed. This award is given annually to one Holstein cow that not only excels in the showring, but is an exceptional milk producer as well. Flower was bred by Hazel Bush Farms, Inc., of Rice Lake, Wis., and is owned by 22-year-old Beth Nelson of Blair, Wis.

To be eligible for the Star of the Breed award, a cow must place in the top five in her class at a National Holstein Show in the award year, be in a herd enrolled in the TriStar program and have an official classification score. Once the eligible cows are determined, the following calculation is used to decide the award recipient: Combined ME Fat and Protein + Age Adjusted Classification Score x (Breed Average ME Combined Fat & Protein/Breed Average Age Adjusted Classification Score).

Flower was born in July 2006, and is sired by My-John Free Flap-ET, out of Hazel-Bush Delaware Dixie. She made an outstanding milk record this past year, calving in at 4-05, producing 59,160 pounds of milk with 4.2 percent fat (2,471 pounds) and 2.9 percent protein (1,744 pounds) in 365 days. Flower is classified Excellent-92 EEEEE, scoring the maximum 50 in both rear udder height and width. In 2011, Flower was the third place Five-Year-Old at both the Midwest Spring National Holstein Show and the Mid-East Fall National Holstein Show.

Beth is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Farm and Industry Short Course and now works fulltime with her parents, Lee and Becky, at their dairy farm. They milk 150 cows twice a day in a double-10 parabone parlor, the herd primarily comprised of Holsteins, approximately 20 percent of which are registered. The cattle are housed in sand bedded freestalls, with a pack barn for fresh cows, and their ration consists of a TMR with an ample amount of dry hay. The farm’s rolling herd average currently sits at 24,500 pounds of milk, maintaining a 98,000 SCC, which has earned them several milk quality awards.